Meaning & use
the crematorium
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A building where the bodies of dead people are burned as part of a funeral ceremony.
Grammar: Can be used with 'a' or 'the': they drove to the crematorium.
Patterns
- at the crematorium
- a funeral at the crematorium
The funeral service will be held at the crematorium on Monday.
She waited outside the crematorium while the family said goodbye.
The old crematorium was replaced by a larger, more modern building.
nouncountabletechnical
The machine or furnace used to burn dead bodies.
Grammar: Less common than the building sense; usually clear from context.
Patterns
- the crematorium was heated
- operate a crematorium
The crematorium must reach a very high temperature.
Workers at the facility carefully maintain the crematorium.
Word forms
| plural | crematoriums |
|---|---|
| plural | crematoria |
Common combinations
- at the crematorium
- The ceremony took place at the crematorium.
- a funeral at the crematorium
- They attended a funeral at the crematorium.
- the crematorium chapel
- The crematorium chapel was full of mourners.
- a crematorium service
- The crematorium service was short and simple.
Synonyms and how they differ
- crematory
- A less common word with the same meaning, used especially in American English.
- funeral home
- A place where bodies are prepared for burial or cremation, but not necessarily where cremation happens.
Word family
- cremate verb
- To burn a dead body as part of a funeral.
- cremation noun
- The act of burning a dead body.
Commonly confused: the crematorium or crematory?
the crematorium vs crematory
Same meaning, but 'crematorium' is more common in British English.
Practice
Where do people often go for a funeral service where the body is burned?
Choose one answer.
A crematorium is the building where cremation takes place. A cemetery is for burial, and a hospital or church is not specifically for cremation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the crematorium”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.